Embarking on a six-month journey down the east coast of Africa, I had a pervasive sense that this trip was going to welcome in change to my life. It was a change that I had courted - a trip to bridge my current life to my future life and move of continents. It made me mildly uneasy like a coarse woollen jumper that gives you a subconscious urge to scratch.

I was armed with an arsenal of industrial-strength DEET, US dollars and standard travelling garb. Every travel book and health advisory forewarns vaccinations, travel insurance, film (if you're the old school shooter) and currency. Three things you should not leave home without when travelling Africa that might not make it on to your radar...

1. Gaffer tape
Now before I hear you snigger and wonder if there is an opening as a roadie, gaffer tape is more useful than originally first thought. It will seal any holes in mosquito nets and screens and give you peace of mind that the malarial, blood-sucking, insects will not feast upon you... tonight! Alternatively, it will mend any bags or decrepit shoes.

2. Dental floss
Dental floss, whilst always important in maintaining dental hygiene, is something MacGyver would have had in his tool kit. It can double as a washing line and can repair torn sleeping bags and backpacks.

3. Baby wipes
To give you baby freshness when you are days away from a river or a shower... or to wipe the caked-on dust from your face at the end of a day of being berated by the elements on the back of an overland truck.